Marines say farewell to fallen comrades

9:10pm Monday 1st December 2008

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ROYAL Marines from all over the country came to Wiltshire to pay their final respects to three of their fallen brothers.

Some 500 veterans made the trip yesterday to say farewell at a number of locations.

At Gablecross Police Station they were joined by more than 100 police and civilian staff who braved chilly temperatures to line the A420.

Michael Baxter, secretary of the Royal Marines Association, said Marines will travel any distance to say goodbye to one of their own.

But Mr Baxter added that yesterday was special because they were able to line up next to Wiltshire Police.

He said: “This is fantastic. To see the police out here standing beside us is touching.

“We are very grateful to them for assisting us in this tradition the Royal Marines have had since the beginning – recognising the fallen.”

He added events like yesterday’s may become more common for Marines because 80 per cent of the 2,000-man unit were sent to fight in Afghanistan in September.

Chief Superintendent Paul Howlett of Swindon police said force had always maintained a strong relationship with the military because of their presence in Wiltshire.

He said: “We are all here, each of us on our own volition to recognise the sacrifice of these brave soldiers.”

And PC Nikki Kennedy said: “I think we should do this thing as officers of trained discipline however, I am doing this for myself.

“These people have given up everything for us.”

The latest group of soldiers to lose their lives brings the number of UK forces killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001 to 128.

Tony Evans and Georgie Sparks, both of J Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines died on November 27 after their foot patrol near Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, came under fire from insurgents.

Also killed was Alexander Lucas, 24, of 45 Commando, who was killed by a roadside bomb in the Kajaki area of Helmand just three days earlier.

Stanley Holland, president of the association, said the police provided members access to their canteen, along with coffee and tea, and invited them to come to the station in future because he said Wootton Bassett has become ‘too crowded’ for them.